it takes an ocean of trust
by Lueur-de-L'aube
Summary: Oneshot collection - Newest: "I had my first kiss with Black*Star," Maka said, and with that Soul's whole world came crashing down as he proceeded to handle this matter like a petulant child.
1. Memories

A/N: This was my only contribution for SoMa week sadly but I managed to write this in one day. Considering how slow I'm usually with writing, it has to be a record or something. Anyway, enjoy and reviews make me happy! =)

EDIT: In case you are confused seeing this particular oneshot in the M section now, it used to be a separate story in the T section and I thought why not make this the first contribution to my oneshot collection.

* * *

Title: Memories

Summary: Soul has never left for the DWMA. Instead he's living a peaceful and wealthy life with a loving family in New York. He should be happy and he actually is, but he can't shake this odd feeling off, the feeling that something is amiss. Written for SoMa week, day 1 - memories.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Friendship

* * *

"Hey Soul, is something the matter?" Wes asked, taking a seat beside him on the bench. It was a mild spring day, the sky was a little cloudy but the sun was shining. It was a very nice day.

Soul shook his head. "No, I'm fine."

Wes studied him worriedly, poking him on the forehead. "Are you sure? You've been kinda out of it since you turned 14. Did you eat too much cake?" His big brother chuckled and even Soul had to crack a grin.

"Wes," he said, scoffing mockingly, "There is no such thing as eating too much cake."

"True that, especially for someone who seems to have a bulldozer instead of a stomach like you."

"Shut up."

Soul felt his heart ease a little. He couldn't really explain it but he felt like something was...off. He didn't even know what or why. Something stirred within his mind, as if he was missing something, something important yet he couldn't put his finger on it.

He was blessed with a lot in his life, living a wealthy life in New York's Upper East Side. He had a very kind and loving family, his older brother being his favourite person in the world. His parents were a little strict and expected a lot from him, but they were also very supportive of him. Despite his different taste in music, they approved of it, even though they had been initially very hesitant about it. He was attending a great school, he had a promising future ahead of himself, so why did he feel like there was something wrong in all of this?

Soul sighed heavily, ignoring Wes' concerned eyes. He was perceptive like that, had always been. Whenever Soul felt like he was going to get crushed by his parents' pressure, Wes would smoothly step in and save the day.

"Let's go, Soul," Wes said, standing up with the grocery back in his left hand. "Dad said not to take so long. We should head home."

* * *

It was two weeks later that Soul found himself taking an aimless walk outside, even though the sun had already set. He had been feeling okay, only to be overcome with the weird sensation again.

_Something __is __wrong__,_ it told him, but never what exactly was. He was frowning heavily when he suddenly walked into another person. Luckily, he caught the girl before she could fall. She was a small thing, blond hair in pigtails and clad in a school uniform. Maybe she attended one of the private schools nearby.

"Sorry," Soul mumbled, releasing her arm to straighten his back. Looking her in the eyes, he continued, "I wasn't looking where I was─ do I know you? You seem familiar. Have we met already?"

The girl frowned, her vibrant green eyes narrowing with suspicion as she looked him up and down, scrutinizing him. "I don't think so," she said, crossing her arms and taking a small step away from him.

"Um."

Soul had never felt this stupid in his entire life. She was probably thinking that he was trying to flirt with her! He shook his head, his lips moving in an attempt at human communication but he could only stammer dumbly.

"If you will excuse me now, I'll be leaving." She smiled faintly and brushed past him. He wanted to call after her but why should he? He didn't want to come across like a creep.

He watched her retreating back until she rounded a corner.

* * *

He dreamed of the girl with the pigtails and pretty green eyes that night. But in the dream they seemed already acquainted with each other, close even. He didn't feel like an active participant in the dream; he watched from afar as his dream-double grinned at the girl before he was engulfed in a blue light and turned into a big scythe. The girl caught it with startling ease. She looked so thin and fragile, but the more Soul watched her, the more he saw that she was anything but fragile.

She was strong and fast and cut the monster that was trying to attack her in a matter of seconds. She hadn't even broken a sweat! The scythe transformed again, steel and blade turning into flesh and bones, familiar white hair and tan skin. His dream-double took a hold of the red orb that the monster left behind and swallowed it whole.

Soul blinked, confused and curious. They were talking, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Their words were a jumbled mess of syllables and sound.

His dream-double stepped very close to the girl and for a moment Soul thought he might kiss her, but he just ruffled her hair, chuckling lowly, saying something and this time Soul caught something familiar in his speech, something that rang a bell...somehow, even though he had no idea when he had heard it before.

"Maka."

* * *

Today, Soul took the long way home after class. He didn't feel like facing his family right now. He walked up 77th street, took a turn right to 5th Avenue, and spotted the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the left. He had been there once with his parents and once with his class, which had been the lamest school trip ever. He had sworn on that day to never step into the wretched building ever again.

He paid the recommended 25 dollars for his ticket, scrunching up his nose at the madness that had to be controlling him right now. He didn't pay much attention to what was around him until he reached the Islamic Art collection where he found her again. He gasped, his heart thudding fiercely.

Yes, it had to be her. Without thinking about it, he approached as she was looking at some calligraphy. He hesitated for a brief moment, pondering over what he actually was attempting to do. He wanted to talk to a girl he didn't know and only because he had almost knocked her over the other day? And then what? What would he talk about? She'd probably think he was some sort of stalker, even though he had found himself in the same place as her coincidentally. Or not.

Soul was not someone who'd interpret more meaning into weird things that could happen in life, but the dreams he had been having about her, about them, they seemed scarily real. Even though he was usually just a third onlooker of the dreams, he-

Oh, who was that? Soul's red eyes narrowed as another boy approached the girl. He was small, tan and had shocking blue hair. He unceremoniously slapped the girl on her back only to laugh at her glower loudly, drawing the attention of several people in their vicinity.

Soul felt something stir in his chest, an ugly feeling he refused to name. Shaking his head, he turned away only to run into another person again!

"Sorry," he said, looking up long enough to see that this time it was a tall, willowy woman with dark hair he had crashed into. He didn't wait for her to say something in return, just brushed past her, catching her confused shout of "Black Star!"

* * *

That night he dreamed of her again and this time he wasn't just some onlooker but he was there with her, participating in this fight. He didn't know why everything felt so vivid, his blood and flesh quivering at the overwhelming fear of their adversary. The person was very skinny, pale eyes that looked like they wouldn't look out of place on a dying man. They had pink hair, pallid skin and a large black sword that would let out screams that would make his steel shake in searing pain.

The girl, Maka, his partner, couldn't manage to land a hit on them, just making sure to avoid their attacks, scared and frightened not only for herself but mainly for him. Her emotions were crashing into him like an avalanche. He heard himself screaming, telling her to fucking guard, but she was stubborn and scared and tired. She missed a step and it felt only natural for him to protect her because that was his job; he felt no fear when he transformed into his human self, he felt oddly detached from all of this and only watched the large black sword descend towards him lethargically as if in slow motion but it was no less deadly.

There was a coppery taste in his mouth as his chest burned like a thousand matches, his knees giving out. His ears rang shrilly, Maka's devastated screams echoing in his mind as she caught him in her arms. The stupid girl wouldn't run, insisted to be with him, her hot tears like a brand on his cheeks.

The scenario changed and he was more or less fine, not dead but it looked like this might be about to change. Some large wolf-man charged at them and Soul transformed, however he was too heavy for Maka, he could actually feel how his steel was burning through her white gloves and her skin. This time they weren't the only ones there, the weird and loud blue-haired boy was there too together with the tall dark willowy woman. Tsubaki and Black*Star, yes.

Soul felt stupid for never associating these names with them. The rest of the dream was blurry, his blood was pounding more loudly than ever before in his veins, his head buzzing painfully as he struggled not to slip into this madness. The madness that told him to eat the pure blue orb that belonged to his partner. His lips parted, sharp fangs dripping with saliva, black blood thrumming in his bloodstream as his mouth enclosed over-

Soul awoke with a start, panting heavily, skin slick with cold sweat. It was still dark outside. He threw the covers away to ward off the suffocating feeling of dread. He unconsciously ran his hand over his chest, fully expecting to find a scar that stretched from shoulder to hip, only to be surprised when his palm met smooth skin instead.

* * *

What was going on?

Three days later, when he was eating lunch with Wes at a small diner, Soul finally told him about the disquieting dreams he had been having. Wes' eyes widened when he mentioned how he could turn into a scythe in his dreams, how Mak—this girl with pigtails wielded him as if he couldn't be heavier than cotton candy.

"And the weird thing is," Soul said, absentmindedly sipping at his orange juice, "the more I have them, the less they feel like dreams...but more like...memories."

Wes let out a laugh, his jaw tense, his brow twitching. "Oh Soul, I understand."

Soul perked up, blinking in surprise. "You do?"

His older brother nodded happily, ruffling Soul's hair much to his dismay. He was no little kid anymore, damn it!

"Yes," Wes continued, wiping his hands nervously with a napkin. "I know how it is to like a girl for the first time, but be careful Soul, not every girl likes to be approached with how you feel like you have known her a long time already."

"It's...it's not like that," Soul spluttered, heat crawling over his cheeks as his brother could only laugh and coo over how he was growing up.

Making a sour grimace, Soul sighed, thinking back at the first and only words he had exchanged with Maka. He was probably going crazy. He didn't even know the girl, he couldn't even be sure that her name was indeed Maka yet he constantly kept referring to her by that name in his head.

"The dreams are just really weird," he said eventually, bowing his head dejectedly.

"Um, maybe you should go see someone about it if they're bothering you so much."

Soul looked up, cocking his head to the side. "And who do you think should I see? A shrink?"

"Maybe it will help," he said with a shrug, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, glancing down to avoid his gaze.

"No, thanks. I don't need a shrink. I am not insane and don't plan to be," Soul said, running his hand down his chest, feeling for the scar that wasn't there but was still hounding him every day.

* * *

The next day was a Sunday and Soul felt compelled to...go the library and this time he wasn't surprised when he saw the pigtailed girl there too. She was walking up the stairs just as he spotted her and Soul refused to believe that their encounters had been merely meetings of chance. His mouth moved on its own accord, his lips moving, his voice wrapping around two syllables.

"Maka!"

She halted, her shoulders tensing and turned around. He was swept with relief when her green eyes settled on him, wide with bemusement and wariness. Time was frozen in that moment, the rest of the world might as well not be existing right now for all Soul knew, only able to register everything that was this girl. The moment lasted only a second and the world shifted back into focus. His breath was loud and erratic, he was at a loss of what to do and he knew he couldn't lose her again this time.

As his brain tried to work around the proper words, the girl hesitantly walked down the steps where he was and came to a stop at the stair that was one above his, making her slightly taller than him. She studied him for a moment, green eyes sharp and intelligent, and as if in a trance she reached out with her ungloved hand, touching his cheek.

Her breath stuttered when she whispered, "Soul?"

* * *

They were sitting like some misplaced statues on the steps to the library silently. Soul wanted to say something but he found his tongue tied, but then he decided his tongue had been lately always tied, so he might as well give it a try.

"Sooo...I'm Soul," he said uneasily, cringing inside and wanting nothing more than to vanish into a pitch black hole.

"I know," she said, smiling slightly. "And I'm Maka, but you knew this too."

"Heh, yeah." He scratched the side of his head just to do something with his hands because he felt the embarrassing urge to grab one of hers as they would do so often in the dreams. But dreams were another matter altogether and he doubted she'd appreciate him being so touchy with her, although she had touched his cheek too, which many would interpret as a maybe intimate gesture. He could feel the blush coming over his cheeks. Damn it, where was his cool now?

"How...how did you know my name, Maka?" he asked, her name a familiar sound to his vocal cords and mouth.

"I, ah, I'm not sure actually. Does it sound crazy when I tell you that, uh, that I dreamed about you?"

His heart soared and it was as if all air left his body for a moment. "Really?" Red eyes wide, he turned slightly towards her, his right knee brushing against her left one. "I saw you in my dreams too, though it was weird. We fought monsters and stuff...and I could turn into a scythe and then you took my shaft and waved me around like-"

What the hell was he even saying. As if the 'normal' version of his dreams wasn't bizarre enough, he was talking like...like...

There was no way the blush on his cheeks wouldn't be permanently etched onto his skin now.

"Wait! You can turn into a scythe?!" She grabbed his shoulders making him look into her eyes again, either not caring how he had sounded or not understanding it.

"Uh, yeah, I mean I could in the dreams."

She gasped and her mouth curved into one of the most absurdly adorable smiles he had ever seen, leaving him completely gobsmacked. She shook him again and he let her.

"No, no, you don't understand. I...I let me introduce myself properly. I am Maka Albarn, student and weapon meister at the Death Weapon Meister Academy or DWMA for short. Have you ever heard of it? It's in Nevada! And...and there are meisters and weapons like you!"

He carefully pried her hands off of his shoulders, the relief he had been feeling the whole time slowly but surely making way for cautious trepidation. Maybe under the sweet and pretty exterior, this girl was insane and had broken out of a mental ward.

"What are you talking about?"

Her excitement faltered, but there was a fire in her eyes or more of a spark, determined and stubborn at once.

"The dreams you had Soul, I had the same but...but I didn't think too much of it. But the day you bumped into me on the streets, my dreams became clearer and the scythe I had been wielding all the time was you and maybe...maybe," she stammered, fidgeting on the place as her cheeks were tinted a lovely rose. He flinched when she suddenly made a grab for his hand, lacing their fingers together and it was as if something missing had been set in place. The weight of her hand was achingly familiar as was everything about her. There it was again, the mild sensation tickling the back of his soul, telling him to see the truth. "Maybe...we've dreamed of the future."

Her words startled him out of his thoughts, making him snort loudly. "That's bullshit, come on."

"Hey!" She smacked him over the head with the back of her hand and that too had a weird familiarity to it. "I'm serious, Soul. Things like that don't happen coincidentally. I..." she exhaled harshly through her nose, squeezing his hand more firmly. "I don't even know why I am here in New York. I told my father I wanted to see the museum and other landmarks and he said it was ok because he felt sorry for me that I still haven't found a weapon partner, but to be honest, the landmarks weren't the real reason to why I'm here."

"What is it then?"

"I don't know," she said, hissing with frustration. "I felt like I had to come here but I can't even tell you why because...urgh, I don't even know. I am not making much sense am I?" She laughed mirthlessly, letting her head drop onto her free hand with a defeated groan.

Soul watched her for a moment and surmised that yes, if she had told him this a few weeks ago, he'd refused to associate with her any further, but thinking back at the dreams he had had, of how this odd, intangible feeling in his chest made him go to places where he usually wouldn't go for apparently no reason at all, made her story sound like a perfectly rational tale. He reached out to a pigtail and pulled at it lightly. Catching her questioning eyes, he grinned reassuringly and patted her on the head.

"It's okay, I understand."

"You do?" She looked unconvinced but happy at the same. Soul stood up, taking her with him, their hands never separating. This felt right, somehow.

"Yeah. Come on, let's do something. What do you want to see next of New York City?"

"I don't know, just take me somewhere cool." She smiled brightly.

"Cool, huh?"

* * *

The next few day he spent more and more with Maka. He took her to the movies, showed her the best places of the Upper East Side and even the boring places like the museums and libraries and galleries. He made an effort not to look too bored but she could see right through him. They tended to hold hands a lot though it felt natural and he never questioned it.

She was an odd girl. She was very kind and bubbly, her speech quite polite and proper. She didn't like to curse and she would make sure to reprimand him if he did. He found out that she was fun to tease, but had an explosive temper that nearly caused him a concussion. He had called her Tiny Tits, partly as a joke and partly to taunt her, and she responded by hitting his skull with a thick tome. She called this a Maka Chop. He had told himself he would never tease her again, but he didn't abide by that. He teased her and she hit him over the head with a book if it annoyed her enough.

She was also extraordinarily smart. Sometimes it was difficult to keep up with what she was saying; she was using a lot of big words, which he doubted most people older than her even knew, and ennunciated her words perfectly. She would tell him about Death City and the DWMA in Nevada, show him pamphlets and pictures, insisting it was a very beautiful place.

He snorted, nearly spitting his coke out. "Are you serious?" he asked, rasing his eyebrow questioningly. He took the picture she had just shoved into his face and regarded it for a moment before he looked her in the eyes with a smirk. "This looks like straight out of a Tim Burton movie. Don't tell me that's how this Death City actually looks like. Did you just google pictures and print them so you could show me?"

She crossed her arms over her slight chest, pouting childishly. "No, I did not. And how do you know Timothy Burton?"

"Uh..."

"He was the first architect of Death City!"

"Uh..."

It was only when they came across Wes when he was with his friend (or girlfriend?) that their...dating bliss ( were they even dating?) came to a halt.

Wes didn't hesitate to tease him, never missing the opportunity to call Maka his girlfriend even though she insisted that it wasn't the case. Soul had to admit that his brother's conclusion wasn't that unreasonable, considering he saw them with their hands locked like that.

"So how long have you known each other already? Where did you meet? Do you play an instrument Maka? Soul is very good with the piano."

Soul glowered at Wes murderously. What the hell was he doing?

"No, I don't play an instrument. I am not that good with music actually," she said, smiling mildly. Soul could feel the discomfort oozing out of her in waves. She turned to him then, more at ease when she spoke. "I didn't know you could play the piano, Soul? Will you play for me one day?"

He looked away with flushed cheeks. The collar of his shirt felt too tight around his neck. He loosened his tie a little. "Uh, maybe."

"You're not good with music you say?" Wes cut in. His voice sounded amiable enough but Soul knew his brother was up to something. He would have never thought that Wes would make such a big deal out of him meeting a girl. And technically they weren't even officially a couple. Soul had no idea what they were. He had only known her for a few weeks after all.

"No, I'm not," she said demurely. "My mama tried to make me take up the clarinet but I had no talent for it and she gave up." She sighed.

Wes' eyes narrowed in contemplation, his head tilted to the side as he took a small sip from his coffee. "You see the Evans family is a very reputable family in the music industry. It's unheard of that a family member doesn't know how to play an instrument."

"Oh, I understand."

"Wes, just shut up..."

His older brother however ignored him pointedly, his maroon eyes focused entirely on Maka while his weird friend had remained deathly quiet the whole time. Soul had never seen her before. She had curtly introduced herself as Minnie but that was it, no other words had come out of her mouth. She was pretty, he guessed, but her eyes were dark like her hair and her skin was pale.

"This includes our friends and partners as well, Maka," Wes continued. "If you know what I mean."

"I...um, I don't know what to say," Maka said, looking at Soul, asking him for help.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Wes?" Soul asked coldly, clenching his fists tightly. Maka's small hand on top of his knuckles was barely a comfort. "What kind of game are you playing? Asking her these dumb questions and making her feel uncomfortable. This isn't like you."

Something like regret flashed in his brother's eyes before it was gone again to leave that eerie cold expression back. It reminded Soul of their father and that alone was enough to make him shudder.

"What I'm trying to say, dear brother, is that she is unfit to associate with you. I understand she's very pretty but she is musically inept as she told us. Do you think it would be healthy to have a girlfriend like that?"

"Excuse me?" Maka cut in, irritation making the pitch of her voice rise. "Don't talk about me as if I'm not here. It's rude."

Wes merely scoffed, raising his chin haughtily. Soul's blood was boiling and he had to cling onto the last shreds of his self-control not to jump over the table to give his brother a good slap on the head.

"God, Wes, We're only 14. What are you even trying to say and we aren't even-"

"I think I'll leave now."

"But Maka!"

"Goodbye Miss Albarn." Wes lifted his cup to his lips, not even gracing Maka with a glance. She was bristling, Soul could feel her anger permeating the tense air and he had no idea what to do. She attempted a smile when her eyes locked with his red ones, but it was strained and terribly forced and Soul could feel his heart dropping when she said, "Goodbye Soul."

* * *

He didn't see Maka after that again and he wanted to bang his head against the nearest available hard surface at his lack of forethought. They hadn't exchanged their numbers, but they had never needed to call each other. They'd meet each other regardless as if some higher power pulled the strings of their bodies together.

His dreams became worse and even in those Maka appeared less and less. Instead he dreamed of a small red demon that taunted him. Soul usually felt just annoyed at its presence until the demon grew larger and larger, towering over him and casting its viscous shadow of black blood over his small frame. Soul would scream and cry, call for help to no avail as his chest would feel like it was about to burst open. The black blood would engulf him, starting with his feet only to climb up higher and higher and there was nothing he could do to defend himself. It would wrap around his neck, choking him, seep into his nostrils and open mouth, enclose over him entirely until his pathetic gargling stopped.

Then he would wake up, drenched in sweat, his blanket knocked down and his hair plastered to his forehead. His hand would, as it did so often, run over his chest, retrace the path of the imaginary scar. Sometimes Soul was sure the scar was there because sometimes it hurt and burned, driving him crazy because there wasn't anything that could inflict such pain upon him.

Soul missed Maka, and he hadn't had a real conversation with Wes after Maka left that day. He growled to himself, gritting his teeth. Wes was never one to bully people like that. Wes usually didn't care about anybody's background as long as they were nice and decent people, so what had he seen in Maka to make him behave like that?

He needed to talk to Wes, but it was three in the morning and his brother would murder him if he woke him now. He sighed, exhaustion catching up with him and making his eyelids droop. He would talk to Wes tomorrow.

* * *

Wes and he had been tasked by their mother with grocery shopping again and Soul thought this was the perfect opportunity to talk about the shitstorm from the other day. The silence was awkward between them and Wes didn't even attempt to indulge in idle smalltalk as he'd usually do to ease the tension. Feeling his fury rise, Soul decided to put an end to this stupidity himself.

"Look, Wes, do you mind telling what this was all about with Maka?"

"Exactly what I said it was. She is unfit to be with you."

Soul groaned lowly, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. "You and I both know that's bullshit!"

"Shut up, Soul. Let's get the groceries and be done with it. I've heard there is a dangerous mugger running around here. He has already killed two people."

Rolling his eyes, Soul put a hand on Wes' shoulder, noticing how they were almost the same height now.

"Don't try to change the subject." He held his brother's gaze resolutely, refusing to back off even though he had never seen Wes looking at him with such anger. For a moment, Soul was certain Wes might burst and yell and punch at him, but he only let out a deflated sigh, his shoulders dropping.

"I don't want her near you because-" Wes began, clenching his fists, "because she's going to take you to Nevada."

"Huh? Don't be stupid. I don't want to go to Nevada."

Wes shot him a bitter smile. "Really? Because the last time you were very eager to leave."

Soul took his hand off his brother's shoulder, staring at him as if he had grown a second head out of his back. "What are you saying? Nothing you say is making sense. When did I leave the last time?! Wes, what the-"

Before Soul had the chance to finish his tirade, he was knocked off his feet violently. He scraped his arm on the sidewalk and he could hear the screams and shouts of the people around him.

"Soul!"

He barely had any time to react; Wes pulled him up by his elbow, making Soul flinch at the pain. Sharp silvery claws missed him by a hair's breadth and his breath caught in his throat at...the monster that was before him, a monster that was exclusive to his freaky dreams. It was twice as tall as him, its mouth carved into a large twisted smile, its canines sharp and dripping with spit.

Soul shuddered and he could feel Wes' hold on his arm tightening. His heart was beating so hastily that he feared it might just burst out of his chest, if the monster didn't rip it out of him that is. There was a miniscule moment of hesitation before they both ran into the other direction. Soul's throat was tight with dread; he had never run this fast in his life. He let out a muffled cry when Wes took him by the collar of his shirt and pushed him to the ground, the wind of the monster's claws nearly brushing his neck.

Fuck! He didn't want to die. His eyes burned with tears, his blood soaring heavily as he yelped and crawled back until his path was blocked by a wall. He bit his lip to try to hold back an undignified whimper. His head hurt, a warm liquid trickling down the side of his face. This was it? He...how, he was just 14, he couldn't die yet. Not like this. But the monster didn't care how young he was, it nonchalantly raised its claws over its head and Soul closed his eyes, muttering his final prayers, hoping Wes would make it out alive.

"Don't you dare to touch my brother!"

The pain he had been waiting for never came. Soul wrenched his eyes open, wincing at the monster's high shriek. Oh God, what was Wes doing?! His brother was fighting the thing with a metal pole, hitting it over the head futilely. Soul struggled to his feet, his knees weak and shaky, his muscles tense with fear. His eyes widened when the monster...the pre-kishin hit the pole out of Wes' hands.

"Wes, watch out!"

"Damn it, Soul, what are you doing here. Run!"

He choked back a sob as the monster turned away from Wes, its grisly visage contorting into a grotesque grin at the sight of Soul. Maybe running would have been the better option after all. Fully awaiting a final blow to end it all, Soul was shocked again when the monster was kicked down. Not by Wes this time but...

"Maka?"

Indeed, there she was. Standing there tall and proud, in her usual pigtails and her uniform. Her eyes were narrowed into a fierce glare and even though she was small and thin, Soul didn't doubt her strength in this moment.

"Are you both okay?" she asked, eying him worriedly. He could only nod dumbly and threw a glance at Wes, sighing with relief when he saw his brother unharmed. As the pre-kishin was still trying to get back onto its feet, Maka turned to Soul, eyes burning with determination. "Soul," she said resolutely, "I need you to transform."

He hesitated for the briefest of a second to catch his breath but then everything that happened came naturally. Blue light engulfed him and it was a quick transformation from boy to scythe. Maka's hands were comfortingly warm and her grasp was firm and strong. She let out a powerful cry, charged at the pre-kishin, never missing a beat as she dodged its clumsily aimed claws and rammed the tip of his blade into its neck.

The pre-kishin let one final ghastly shriek before Maka severed its head from its neck, her soul thrumming with satisfaction and pride. In its wake the monster left behind a vibrantly glowing red orb.

* * *

Soul didn't let go of Maka even when her loud annoying friend with the blue hair tried to push him off.

"Fuck off," Soul snarled and together with Maka's scolding and Tsubaki's peacemaking, they made it to the Evans mansion. The first one to hug him was his father, quickly followed by his mother, who looked especially distressed at his head wound, insisting that they go to the hospital. In the end, it was Tsubaki who bandaged his head after he assured his parents that he was perfectly fine if somewhat shaken. It was the most glorious understatement of the century.

The excitement died down towards the evening. His parents courteously insisted that Maka, Tsubaki and Black*Star stay the night over. It was the least they could do for their help. Soul and Maka spent the rest of the day in his room, chatting idly. He kind of enjoyed how she fussed over him all worried and cute, running her hand carefully through his hair. It relaxed him and it comforted his soul.

"Soul, Maka?" Wes said, knocking on his door hollowly. "Can I come in?"

Soul cracked an eye open lazily, not bothering to get his head up from Maka's soft lap. "Yeah, come in. What is it, Wes?" He did not miss how Maka refused to look at his brother.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Wes shut the door behind him and leaned against it. "I think I have an apology to make. Maka, I'm sorry for treating you so rudely, it was uncalled for."

She perked up, her eyes startled as she searched for the right words. "Um, it's okay, thanks."

Wes smiled faintly and then turned to him saying, "And Soul, I have to apologize especially to you."

"Huh?" Now this made him raise his head from Maka's lap. "Why?"

He sighed again and Soul had never seen his brother look so uncertain in his life. He looked defeated and exhausted and he likely needed a good night's rest. Soul felt guilt welling inside his chest. He hadn't bothered to make completely sure that Wes was unharmed. He was a horrible brother.

"Because everything's my fault," Wes said somberly. "And before you say anything let me finish. I...don't know how to explain but...I...I made a deal with a witch." Maka gasped loudly, her hands clutching the pleats of her skirt.

"A deal with a witch is dangerous! What have you promised to do for her in return?"

Wes shook his head. "Nothing. I assume using her magic was enough for her."

Soul didn't know what was going on but after today he knew better than to doubt magical things going on in life. But what was Wes' business with all of this?

"Anyway, what I wanted was to have my little brother back. I didn't actually expect her to turn back time to months before you left for the DWMA! I tried to make the best out of it and treated you so you would never consider leaving, even though I hadn't been aware of what had happened until I started to remember somehow. The witch, Minerva, said that I possibly retained my memories of the time you weren't here because of the deal we made." He let out a hiss between his teeth, running his hand through his tousled hair that was usually impeccably combed. His eyes were dull with sadness and Soul had a hard time of grasping what was going on. Was his brother telling him he had somehow made the world travel back in time? "Apparently you didn't lose your memories either," he continued, grinning weakly.

A dumbfounded silence befell them and it was Maka who broke it.

"We need to inform Lord Death of this immediately."

* * *

It was later that night after the second wave of excitement died down that Soul took Maka to the music room. The grand piano stood in the middle imposingly. He felt kind of nervous, his throat tight and dry as he led her by her hand to stand a little behind him. He seated himself on the bench stiffly, his back tense and his fingers twitchy with anxiousness. He kept his head high as he let his fingers descend onto the keys.

It was a dark and somber song, the first part of the melody clashed with the second more lighthearted path, the tones higher and softer. He was thinking of her, of her laughter, of her eyes; he was thinking of his family, of his stern yet kind mother, of his bumbling but intelligent father, of his protective and strong brother; he was thinking of his friends, the dulled memories clearing little by little. His soul was soaring, his wavelength unconsciously seeking out Maka's, for her to respond in kind.

He finished the song with a mighty clash of keys. He was panting, feeling more exhausted than ever, sweat dampening his forehead. She hugged him from behind, her hair tickling the skin of his neck, her lips curled into a smile against his ear.

"I remember it was your music that pulled me to you."

And everything went black.

* * *

He awoke with a start, red eyes wide with shock. He patted the mattress beneath him, realizing this bed was smaller than the one in the Evans mansion and not as soft. His hand went to his chest and there it was! The jagged scar he had gotten in a suicidal act of heroism to save his meister's life.

Speaking of which, where was Maka?

He dashed out of his room with frantic steps only to almost crash into Maka. He caught himself in the last second.

"Soul!" She smiled and threw her slight weight against him, her hands encircling his neck in a hug. She pressed her head against his collarbones and after a moment of surprise, he wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling into her soft hair. "You know I'd tell you how much of a weird dream I've had but I doubt it was a dream."

"You mean the one where I never came to the DWMA, stayed in New York until I bumped into you things got quickly weird with Wes having made a deal with a witch that involved some sort of time travel apparently?"

She nodded.

"Nope, definitely not a dream."

"I can assure both of you that it wasn't a dream." They scrambled out of their embrace the moment Lord Death's voice resounded from the bathroom. They greeted him with a slight bow, but Soul didn't plan on beating around the bush any longer.

Looking into the small foggy mirror of their bathroom, he began, "What happened, Lord Death?"

Their superior tilted his head to the side, raising a thick white finger. "Exactly what your brother told you. He made a deal with the witch Minerva. Or as you might have come to know her: Minnie."

"Oh, she was the witch?! That actually explains why she was suddenly around my brother."

Lord Death nodded. "Indeed. Doctor Stein and Spirit have found her and brought her to me. She explained me how she came to wield such tremendous power."

"What did she tell you?" Maka asked.

"That she can't use her magic on her own. She needs a...host. The deal she made with your brother consisted of his wish that you had never left for the DWMA. And the stronger a person's wish, the more potent are her powers. Your brother must truly love you when she was able to contort space and time with that. Everything went back to normal the moment he broke the deal with the witch and seeing that you belong to the DWMA as much as you belong with your family, Soul." Lord Death chuckled to himself. " The time was reset as were our memories-"

"But...Soul and I...we still remembered each other somehow. The things we saw, I believed them to be some sort of premonitions, but they were our memories of our time together! How can that be possible when we had technically never met?" Maka muttered, biting her lip in contemplation.

"That was indeed quite peculiar and you are right that remembering each other should have been impossible, and I believe if it weren't for your memories we could have never been able to restore the timeline into its proper proceedings. My theory is that...despite everything, your souls remembered each other."

"What?" They asked flatly in unison, looking at each other dumbly.

"Your souls had been calling out for each other because they likely missed the other's wavelength and presence. That's why you went to New York, Maka and that's why you could transform effortlessly, Soul."

"Oh, I see," Maka said, clutching her hand over her heart, her cheeks tinted a rosy colour.

"Anyway! I'm glad everything's resolved now. I will be going now. You two have fun!" the death-god waved at them cheerily and vanished with a flash.

They stood there for a moment to take this all in, recollecting their thoughts before they exited the bathroom and turned to look at the other with equally wondrous expressions.

"Our souls...remembered each other?" Soul said slowly, scratching his head.

"They...called out for each other?" Maka whispered, still blushing.

"Man, that sounds like straight out of these dumb supernatural romance novels you sometimes read, Bookworm."

"They are not dumb, Soul!"

"Yes, they are. Girl meets boy, they fall in love and make weird vampire babies or some shit."

"Hey, they're not all like that! Most are really good. And what do you know? As if you read anything at all!"

"Tsk, I don't need to read that much."

"Oh, shut up, you sound stupider and stupider with each day."

"Meh, whatever you say, nerd."

He snickered when she hit his shoulder and pouted in that adorable way of hers. They seated themselves on the couch and he reflexively grabbed the remote control and turned the TV on. They leaned against each other, her head on his shoulder, while he rested his cheek on the top of her head.

He had missed this, yes. As wonderful as it was to be with his family under different circumstances again, he wouldn't ever want to trade the life he had with Maka. The implications of what Lord Death told them swirled within his mind. Their souls had been calling out for the other, they missed each other, they remembered each other!

"Hey Maka?"

"Hmm?"

"Would it be okay if we kissed each other? Seems fitting now, don't you think?"

She smiled and his heart swelled with warmth as he pulled her towards him.


	2. A Monument to Your Failure

A/N: This used to be a story that was posted separately, but I decided to add it here into the oneshot collection as well. Enjoy!

* * *

Title: A Monument to Your Failure

Summary: "If you want Soul back, I need you to bring me the heart of the Evenfall, Maka Albarn." ─ There was nothing holding Maka back if the safety of Soul was concerned.

Rating: T

Genre: Horror/Suspense

* * *

"I killed them. All of them─ just as you told me. Now release him!"

Her voice sounded stronger than her body was, muscles and limbs burning excruciatingly as she clutched the Heart in her fist tightly. Her view blurred and for a moment she thought she was going to faint. The fine hairs on the back of her neck prickled, her skin shuddering with goose bumps, her bones freezing as her lids drooped and she stumbled. She caught herself at the last moment, knees trembling, her throat constricting.

The black fog around her encircled her with its cutting cold, forcing a gasp from between her lips.

"Damn it, I know you're here! Come out! We had an agreement!"

She blinked, eyes stinging, betraying her fear and weakness. She felt the temperature drop around her, her breath visible in wispy, smoky tendrils of air around her. Unconsciously, she rubbed a clammy hand over her arm. She flinched, looking at her hand.

She didn't remember getting hurt like this. Had the Evenfall managed to land a hit on her after all? There was something warm on the side of her head; her fingers grazed the spot, and she startled. She didn't remember anyone hitting her head either, she didn't remember the blood, she didn't remember the pain.

She gulped and gritted her teeth.

"Damn it. LET SOUL GO!" Each word burned her lungs as she felt the air fleeing her.

"Maka, Maka, Maka."

The blood in her veins froze. "Give him back,"she whispered, looking around frantically and then added with a steadier voice, "I held up my end of the bargain. What about you? Fucking Liar!"

"Maka."

"Stop playing around, I want Soul back!"

Damn it, something was wrong. She knew, she recalled this with clarity that she had had the upper hand in the fight. She had killed that bastard quickly, had punched its ghastly visage, had rammed the blunt end of her knife into its bony neck, had made sure to burn the body until the black, polished stone that was called its heart remained. It was a slight weight, barely there, so insignificant─ but it was the promise, the reassurance of getting Soul back out of _his_ clutches. Then why, even though she had bested that beast, did she feel like she had been beaten? Why did it feel like her skin had been peeled off by long sharp claws; why did it feel like someone was still holding her throat, choking her, watching her dazed eyes as her strength left her?

"But I'm here, Maka. I'm always here with you."

She closed her eyes, not daring to open them. She knew, knew this even more certainly than her victory over the Evenfall, that if she laid her eyes upon him, she'd lose what little rationality she had.

"No," she rasped weakly, never once loosening her grasp on the Heart, despite the insistent tug on her wrist. He wouldn't be able to get it from her if she didn't let go of it willingly. "You're not Soul. You can't fool me. I want Soul back, the real one."

He chuckled and it made her heart clench tightly─ stopping all blood flow to her body─ she knew because it sounded like Soul, it sounded like him so much, but she had fallen for his tricks too often. She knew better.

"Maka, look at me."

She had come too far to lose right now, her hands drenched in the blood of many. She remembered big, round eyes─ maybe they had been blue or maybe they had more of a tint of green in them. She remembered burning the small body, remembered taking the big, round blue-green eyes too because she needed them.

She recalled thin arms trying to hit her as her sleeves were soaked with grey water, recalled the body with the thin arms getting weaker, the resistance lessening, its pathetic flailing ceasing in one moment. She recalled that she took something from it too. Yes, there was something. A vial─ she had filled the small, crystalline vial with something.

And then, there had been the Lady in White. She remembered how her white gowns hadn't looked so white anymore once Maka had rammed her trusty knife into the lady's abdomen, had remained with the lady until she had bled out, had watched her lips turn blue, watched her mouth parting in a hopeless cry for help. Maka wasn't sure what she had needed from the lady, just knew she that she had needed it and fought the strong lady desperately because it was all for Soul.

"If you want Soul back, I need you to bring me the heart of the Evenfall, Maka Albarn."

"Huh?" She instinctively opened her fist, the pitch black sphere she knew that had been there gone. "What have you done with it?!"

"Done with what? We have a bargain, Maka. You want your Soul back, I want mine."

She took a deep, shuddery breath. "You're never going to give him back, are you?"

"I keep my promises. What about you? You promised me the Heart and you don't have it."

She felt the impenetrable, dark fog she had come to associate with this place envelope her; she felt neither cold nor warm, just pleasingly numb and dazed.

"Bring me the heart of the Evenfall and I'll give you your precious Soul back. Do we have a deal?"

Soul, yes. Soul. She would never leave him here in this rotten place. He was counting on her. She...she needed the heart of the Evenfall, needed to kill it like she had strangled the child with blue-green eyes, like she had drowned man with thin arms, like she had let the lady in white bleed to death.

For Soul. She'd do it because there was nothing holding her back if the safety of Soul was concerned.

She opened her eyes, hazy green meeting absolutely nothing but viscous blackness. She nodded once. Twice.

"I'll do it."

She could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm glad to hear that. I will see you again when you bring me the Heart. You must kill the Evenfall with a blunt knife, do you understand?"

She nodded again. Slowly, the suffocating mist around her thinned and she felt like she was breathing again for the first time. She resolutely looked at the red moon in the sky, the dim light reflecting in her eyes as she willed herself to move because she knew staying in one place for too long would be the end of her sanity. She couldn't afford that. She had to get Soul back.

Her steps were heavy yet certain when she made her way to retrieve the last piece she needed.

* * *

Footsteps echoed in the hollow street. It was cold and misty but that was nothing new, the darkness permeating all sources of light wasn't anything new either.

"I have what you want," he said, red eyes determined, voice steady. "Let Maka go now."

* * *

A/N: Yes, I admit this was definitely one of my weirder fics and a lot more different in style than I usually write. I hope you still enjoyed it though. Tell me your thoughts!


	3. Tie

Title: Tie

Summary: Written for SoMa NSFW week on Tumblr for Day One: Tie.

Rating: M

Genre: Romance

* * *

Their story was an odd one. The omission of details made it another boy meets girl tale. He had just transferred to the University of Death City from some fancy not-really Ivy League university from the East Coast.

Though she wouldn't have known this considering that she had first seen him when she had gone into an _adult_ store. Much to Maka's embarrassment, that action had not resulted because of a dare her friends had set her up for, or because she had been drunk, nor was it because she had not known that particular store to be an adult store. Nope, she had gone into that store because she had wanted to, because she wasn't getting laid, because she didn't know if a relationship was something for her, because her fingers weren't enough, because she was simply frustrated and needed something...more filling.

Maka had totally been expecting some balding, middle-aged, sleazy man as a clerk. She was surprised when she instead saw that it was handsome, twenty-something man, who couldn't have looked more bored out of his mind. She took note of his white hair and striking red eyes and how nicely he was dressed, in a dress shirt with a silky tie, before she did what she thought was best.

She ignored him. She'd just grab the closest vibrator or dildo or whatever, pay for it and be done with it, and pretend like this few minutes had never happened in the simple life of Maka Albarn. However, it wouldn't be a day in the simple life of Maka Albarn if things didn't get complicated. Case in point, the walls were lined up with thousands of sex toys in different colours, shapes and sizes. She eyed the...more realistic ones first, scrunching up her nose at the gaudier models of neon pink/yellow/green/purple with extra bumps and modifications for a 'better experience'.

Even though she had told herself that she'd take this like the adult she was, her cheeks were a blazing red and she couldn't keep her eyes up for longer than a few seconds. She was counting on the clerk being so disinterested in the world that he'd not notice her standing like a moron between two aisles of anal vibrators and some other stuff she had no desire to identify. They looked pretty menacing and she couldn't fathom how anyone could put stuff like that inside their bodies and...and...

"Hey, can I help you?"

She jumped, letting out a high-pitched squeak as she automatically made a grab for the thick monograph in her backpack only to freeze when she came face to face with the red-eyed clerk. Maybe, if her body temperature continued to rise like this, she might even be able to melt her brains out because she couldn't recall any other event in her life that was this mortifying. She stammered out a "No!" in response, only to retract that and yelp out a "Yes, please!" before she slapped a hand against her red cheek.

He raised a flaxen eyebrow, not appearing to be that disturbed by her weird behavior, hands stuffed casually in his pockets.

"Is there something you're looking for in particular?" he continued, unperturbed. Eying her questioningly for a few seconds that felt like entire lifetimes in hell, he let out a barely audible sigh and took one of the flesh-coloured vibrators from the wall. She bit back a whimper. "Most customers like the classic models," he said, almost juggling the thing in his hands. "It's of average girth and not too big, but you're kinda tiny so you might maybe try something smaller. Maybe this─" he took another one, this time smaller, and made a move to hand it to her, but she just jerked away.

He sighed again, louder this time. She felt irritation stir in her stomach and she knew she had two options here: a, she could make a dash for the door and never mention this to anyone ever, or b, she could just─"

"Okay, I'll take that one, please," she bit out, gritting her teeth. He looked surprised for a moment before he sluggishly made his way to the cash register to scan the item. Maka was sure that he was being deliberately slow, just to piss her off more.

She nearly threw the money on the counter, wishing nothing more to leave this store. She could smell freedom, already dreaming about fresh air and a lack of dildos around her.

"Not enough," he said, his gaze suddenly becoming sharper, boredom gone completely.

She flinched, blinking. "W-what?"

He gestured towards the money on the counter with a casual tilt of his hand. "It's not enough. I need ten dollars more."

Maka clenched her fists, ready to grab the stupid vibrator and just make a dash out of the store. But she was no criminal and the last thing she wanted was to get known for stealing sex toys! Willing herself to remain calm, she said, her voice quiet but firm, "How about I go to the bank and─"

"We're closing in ten minutes. I don't think you can make it in time."

"But...wait, how about I pay with my credit card─"

"We don't accept credit cards here."

"What kind of stupid store doesn't accept credit cards!?"

"This store. Look if you can't pay in cash, you might as well leave now."

She snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. She had come too far to give up now. She knew she wouldn't be able to come here again the next day, her sense of propriety and mortification would kill her. She opened her mouth, not really knowing how to convince this stubborn idiot, but he beat her to it, his voice a low rumble coming from his chest, making her limbs shudder.

"Though I'm sure we can arrange something." He smiled, lips stretching wide. He looked practically sinful, his eyes were dark and warm, and heat sparked in her belly.

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows, placing her hands on her hips determinedly. "Can we now?"

He nodded, shoving the money aside, not sparing it another glance. "You can pay...in a different way."

She blinked, staring at his stupid grin dumbfoundedly. He held her wide gaze evenly, even if his smirk faltered the slightest bit. And she lost it. Her laughter was loud and high-pitched as she held her sides, her shoulders shaking.

"Oh God!" she exclaimed, slapping a hand against her forehead. Her eyes were welling up with tears, her other hand haphazardly trying to wipe them away. "Soul, this is awful!"

Soul groaned, hitting his head against the counter. "And I was doing so well. What the hell, Maka?!"

She just continued to laugh, not caring if he felt humiliated; actually it made her feel the evilest sort of delight at seeing him blush like this. It had been his stupid idea and now he was paying for it.

"Doing well?" she snorted, giggling deviously. "Please, that line was so cheesy. I hope you weren't watching porn again."

"No! I don't need to watch porn," he muttered and tried for a leer. He looked ridiculous.

Wiping the rest of her tears off, she let out a shaky sigh, lips still curled into a smirk. "Seriously, roleplaying in a sex shop? I don't know how you convinced me to take part in this."

"Maybe because a you're a dirty little perv─"

"Maka Chop!"

"Ouch, damn it, woman! I didn't force you to come here. You agreed to this, so don't act like you're some saint."

"Okay yes, you're right. I'm sorry," she mumbled, patting his head in apology. She smiled. "I have to admit though when you were...giving me advice about what vibrator would be the best for me, you actually sounded like you knew what you were talking about." She snickered into her palm, ignoring his glower. He could be so cute when he was angry. Like a puppy. A silly puppy who had the weirdest of ideas.

His friend Blair had asked him to watch over her store for two hours as she had an appointment with someone that couldn't be rescheduled, and since Soul apparently owed Blair a favor, he had agreed. Maka had had no idea that the store in question was a sex shop! She had protested when Soul told her, hating the idea of her boyfriend being in such a place, but he somehow managed to convince her not to only let him watch the store, but also to...indulge in a little bit of roleplay with her as the one who had to offer other means to...pay.

"Since we're already in such a porny place we might as well go all out and work with the most cliché line in porn ever," he had said and had added that business was, according to Blair, slow during this time of the day anyway. Maka didn't know what had been wrong with her at that time. Only that she had agreed to this madness. Soul could be such an idiot, but he was also the most loyal and the sweetest man she had ever met. Having first met him in high school when she had initially judged him as a dangerous delinquent and a slacker with no future, their romance had taken its time to blossom. She had trust issues and he had different issues with his family, and they had both found out that entrusting each other with it had managed to help them a lot in several ways.

She grabbed his tie with a fond smile, smoothed her fingers over it, not liking how he had managed to get it crinkled. He watched her aptly, eyes following her every move. She loved it when he wore formal wear, or at least she loved it when he'd go for a tie. Soul had no shame in exploiting her desire for formal wear, even though he felt stifled and uncomfortable in it; he found out that it didn't matter as he'd get naked in a matter of seconds anyway once she set her eyes on him.

"You were saying something about paying in a different way," she said, her smile taking on a sultry edge.

"I thought it was such a cheesy line," he retorted, ever the snarky jerk.

She yanked him forward by his tie, scowling lightly. "Do you want to get laid or not?"

His demeanour changed in a millisecond; from lazy and unmotivated to eager and horny. He didn't even bother to round the counter, he simply jumped over it, taking her by her hand to the staff room. It was barely furnished, a table in the middle, three chairs and a ratty couch against the right wall.

Maka clutched his tie and pulled him down to her level, pressing their lips together. Pushing him against the wall and closing the door with one hand, she slanted her mouth more comfortably against his, feeling his smile against her lips. Even though she was the bookish, uptight nerd, she liked to take charge in the bedroom, a fact that delighted Soul to no end. He moaned hungrily when she ran her blunt nails under his shirt, relishing in the way his abs contracted and how his breathing became more heavy and needy. She had no patience for a covered up Soul, so she unceremoniously yanked at his shirt, fingers fumbling clumsily with the small buttons. She had once made the mistake of ripping one of his shirt apart in her horniness and he hadn't taken to that lightly, so even if her frustration was reaching an all time high she kindly undid all the buttons first before she pushed the shirt over his shoulders.

Her heart was loud in her chest cavity, thudding with a fierceness that was only reserved for moments like these; and maybe the added excitement of being able to be caught by someone, be it Blair or a customer who was particularly insisted on getting their share of sex toys, just made it all the more riveting. She gasped when he bit into her neck, sharp teeth working on muscle and skin as his devious pianist fingers got rid off her shirt and quickly unzipped her jeans soon after.

They pulled apart with a shared groan, his erection rubbing against her stomach as her eyes clouded over. She squeaked when she grabbed her hips, hoisting her up. He set her on one of the chairs, the only one that had armrests and looked to be remotely comfortable. He pulled her jeans off with no preamble, her shoes and socks following next before her discarded her underwear.

Her nipples hardened the moment the cool air in the room hit her small breasts. She was panting harshly, her chest heaving and his eyes were warm and lively and giddy, and he took a moment to watch her. She squirmed a little, feeling self-conscious and embarrassed at the sheer adoration spelled on his face.

"Soooul," she whined, making a grab for his tie again but before she could reach it he pulled it off, despite her vocal protests.

His smirk was wry and something sparked in his eyes that made heat swell up in the pit of her stomach. He fiddled with the tie, eyed her hands pointedly.

"You know...since it's usually me who gets tied up, how about a change of pace?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

She blinked, hands clutching the armrests. "You want to tie me up? Here? Right now?"

"Uh, if you don't want to, I won't. I'm sorry for bringing it up," he said hastily, fidgeting uneasily.

Maka took a deep breath, mulled this over. She had never let him do that with her. He was right. It was usually him who would be sprawled on the bed with his hands tied against the bedpost. She bit her lip, her blood roaring in her ears at the mental picture. She liked being in charge, liked topping him, liked to ride him and tease him, denying his orgasm, until he was begging her for release, pulling at the handcuffs that restrained him. Maybe it was only fair to let him reprociate now. She felt a little anxious, but she trusted this man with all her heart. He'd never hurt her.

"Okay," she said with a nod. "You can tie me up."

His eyes grew wide. "Really?"

She smiled at his eagerness and nodded again, more firmly. He pulled her arms behind the backrest of the chair, crossed her wrists before he tied them together with his tie, giving it a tug to make sure it wasn't too tight.

"Just say the word when you want me to untie you, okay?"

"'kay."

He came to kneel in front of her, pushing her thighs apart. This was unusual. She wasn't used to being so on display. Sure, he had seen her naked plenty enough but never like this, never so submissive and restrained. She inhaled shakily, excited and and nervous at once. She felt her arousal spike when he kissed the inside of her knee, lips slow and sensual in their advance, his blazing red eyes never parting from hers.

She was afraid her heart might just burst out of her chest at this rate. What was he doing? Was this what it was like when you were unable to use your own hands, when you were at the complete mercy of the person you trust? Was that reason why the feeling of each and every press of his lips seemed to be amplified? She didn't know how to handle this─had no idea how what she had expected to be a quick romp on the table of the staff room of a sex shop (!) had turned into this.

The fine hairs on the back of her neck rose when his breath feathered her damp folds. She screwed her eyes shut, lips parting with a moan, only to transform into an impatient growl when he refused to lick her there. The bastard knew the effect it had on her. She glared down at him weakly, futilely pulling at the tie.

The tips of his hair tickled the sensitive skin of her thighs as he switched his attention to her other leg, starting with its knee again. She was surely going to combust if he kept this sweet torture up.

"Soul, please," she whined, eyes heavy-lidded with want.

"Please what?" he asked, his voice muffled against her upper thigh, and she could feel how his lips were stretched into that sultry smirk of his. She shuddered, goosebumps following the path his lips took on her skin. She yelped when he lightly bit her, lapping against the spot soon after appeasingly.

"Mmh, Soul please. I- I need your mouth."

"My mouth is already very busy, Maka. Don't be so needy."

She was going to make him pay for this once this was over. He was not going to let her rest until she spelled it out for him. Maybe this was karma, seeing as she would usually demand the same of him whenever their positions had been reversed. Her fingertips tingled, her skin was scorchingly hot under his attention and her muscles were tense and she was aching for release.

She parted her legs more and he settled between them more comfortably.

"Please Soul, I─ah!"

He didn't even give her time to finish! She threw her head back with a loud moan as he lifted her leg with a hand under her thigh as his other hand spread her folds for him to take in. She was embarrassingly wet, and his tongue was quick and skilled and unrelenting. He suckled on her clit before he switched to give her slit long, slow swipes that made her keen and sob his name, unconsciously pulling at her ties.

"Hah! Soul!"

Her vocabulary was reduced to shouts of his name, of begging him to not stop. She could feel it build up inside of her, liquid heat fluttering in the pit of her stomach, rising higher and higher up her body, reaching her everywhere.

She came with a shrill cry, her toes curling as her back arched off the backrest, and her eyes clenched shut. Her nerve-endings sparked with fire, as her climax washed over her oversensitized body. Soul pulled away from her with a pleased smile, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand with casual nonchalance.

Her chest was still heaving and her vision hadn't entirely gone back to normal, but she couldn't care less in this moment. Maka barely felt him free her hands, the silky tie slithering down from between her wrists. He pulled her on her feet slowly and if he didn't steady her she'd plop back down like a lifeless doll. They kissed leisurely and she realized that he was wearing too much right now. He needed to be naked right now, an insistent tug on his belt loop was all she could muster up in terms of communication.

Soul chuckled lowly, kissing up the shell of her ear before he nibbled on her earlobe, sharp teeth drawing out the sweetest of noises out of her.

Then the door opened. There was a brief moment of what-the-fuck before she came to her senses and shrieked and grabbed her shirt in an attempt to protect her modesty. Soul cursed loudly, turning around and about to yell, but the words died in his throat. Instead he gulped.

"Wait Blair, I can totally explain."

In the doorway stood a tall woman with purple hair and golden eyes. She looked more surprised than angry or disgusted, but Maka still wanted to melt into a goo of no substance and vanish from the earth.

"Soul," the woman began, eyes flitting from him over his shoulder to Maka. She smiled and Maka felt her stomach drop. "When I told you to take care of my customers, I wasn't expecting this!"


	4. Legs

Title: Legs

Summary: Written for SoMa NSFW week day two - Legs. Cheerleading!AU. It was kind of embarrassing how much Maka had him wrapped around her little finger without knowing. He could have dropped out a long time ago already, yet he was still here because he was head over heels in love with this girl.

Rating: M

Genre: Romance

* * *

Soul was a lot of things. He was cool, he was rich and wealthy, he was a passable piano player and good with music, he was rather bad with history (who cared that World War 2 hadn't ended in 1960 but way earlier anyway?) and he was also a cheerleader. Yep.

Of course, cool guys didn't just become cheerleaders. He had been dared to join the cheerleading squad and to drop out after two months. Black*Star was an asshole who loved to humiliate his friends, most of all his closest friend Soul Evans. Soul had naturally refused the dare at first. Nothing was worth the loss of his dignity, and even though he couldn't give a rat's ass about what people thought about him, he'd rather not want to deal with his classmates assholishness about his new extracurricular activity.

The only way Soul had agreed to this was because Black*Star had sneakily got him drunk and promised him that he'd loudly admit with a megaphone that he considered Soul as more awesome than him. Retrospectively, it might seem like a pretty lame exchange. He the cheerleader and Black*Star admitting the truth? It didn't seem fair and maybe it wasn't but considering that it was Black*Star who'd in all seriousness admit to the student body that he was just a loudmouth who couldn't back his bark up was worth something.

Thus, Soul ended up joining the cheerleaders, and it was worse than he had thought it would be. And that was saying something, because Soul found nothing more annoying than the perky squad of girls who'd dance and cheer and be so obnoxiously preppy. He was a quiet person by nature, so being among these girls went pretty much against everything he believed in. He also sucked at cheering because he couldn't give less of a fuck if their dumb football team actually won.

At least he didn't have to move as much. The boys were more or less expected to assist the girls with their insane acrobatics. Soul had to admit, it was sometimes very fascinating how flexible and graceful the girls could be. He knew if he ever attempted one of the daring feats they performed on a daily basis, he'd end up breaking his neck in several ways.

Two months passed, and he was still a cheerleader. Why? Well, at first, he hadn't wanted to admit it and maybe it was stupid as a lot of people in school were giving him shit for being such a 'pansy', but for Soul the reason was very valid. He was─

"Hey, Soul. you ready for today?" Maka asked, smiling brightly as she plopped down next to him on the grass.

His heart skidded to a halt before it went into overdrive, his blood pulsing loudly through his veins. It was a difficult feat not to act uncool around her, and he found out the best way to avoid that was to be a snarky fuck. It earned him more often than not a book against his cranium, but he was ready to accept that instead of getting all doe-eyed and drooly because this girl had him wrapped around her little finger, and she didn't even know.

Soul Evans was in love with Maka Albarn.

Maka was...he didn't even know how describe her because he felt any words he might attempt would do her no justice. She was the cheer captain, but she was also the smartest girl in school, very likely to end up attending an Ivy League University. She was also very pretty and had the most impressive set of legs Soul had ever laid his eyes on. She was kind and helpful and loyal, had a nasty temper and the most amazing green eyes he had ever seen. And he was the lucky guy to always assist her with her lifts!

And he'd have it no other way because the mere thought of having one of the other sleazebags of boys in the cheer squad touching her the way he touched her was unbearable. Not that he took advantage of the situation. At first, he had actually felt insanely awkward at having to touch her in all the places that would usually earn any men a punch to the dick.

Black*Star, after laughing at him and deriding him for still being a cheerleader, had in all honesty expressed some sort of admiration for Soul after seeing him train with the girls.

"Yeah," Soul said gruffly, discreetly leering at the creamy expanse of legs that was so nicely accentuated by the wonderful red skirt all cheerleaders wore. The afternoon sun was hot and he'd rather be spending his time inside instead of stewing like a hot potato outside. It was ridiculous how much he was into this girl.

Soon the others were there as well. Too soon for his liking as Maka immediately started to chat with them. He had never pegged himself as a jealous guy, yet here he was, refusing to leave the team because a, he wanted to spend more time with her but was too chicken to ask her out, and b, he didn't want to - absolutely did not want to - have another guy having his hands all over her legs and hips and butt.

Muttering a few curses under his breath, he shouted out a weak, "Coming," once Maka beckoned him over to start training. It was the same as every day. They'd start with the basic steps, the cheers and chants before they went for the lifts and somersaults and what have you. They continued with the simple jumps and positions to warm up for the stunts.

There was a reason why Maka was the cheer captain. Without a doubt she had the most stamina and she was also the most athletic of the girls. While the others were out of breath, she was still going strong, spurring the others on and motivating them.

With the stunts came the difficult part. Soul was one of the tallest members, but this was the case for all the guys that were in the team, so he took the back spot right behind Maka, calling out the stunts. He grabbed her hips, hoisted her up and pushed her further up by supporting her by her wonderful ass as she quickly came to stand with one foot on Hiro's hand and with the other on his. She held the position for a few seconds, putting her arms up, before she let herself fall, landing in his arms.

She smiled up at him, making his heart flutter in his chest as he let her down and tried to hide his blush. If he weren't so scared to drop her if he didn't pay attention, he might even enjoy touching her, but he was usually more focused on holding her right, not trusting the others to keep her steady while she was doing these crazy neck-breaking stunts.

Though he had to admit that it was nice seeing her walk up to him, so he could grab her ankle and push her up by her butt to hold her up on his own this time. Her thighs were tense as she raised her arms in the air, and he marvelled at her impeccable balance and control. His caught a full view of the bloomers- no wait, those weren't the usual bloomers the girls wore under their skirts. Those were some hot panties he had never seen her wear before and why the hell would Maka─

He released her with a grunt. It wasn't that difficult to carry her around. She was tiny and light as a feather and didn't wear sexy underwear. He was pretty damn sure that those had been boyshorts, not boring bloomers. He eyed her warily but she looked the same as ever, cheerful and happy and innocent with her big green eyes.

After what felt like hours of butt grabbing and thigh holding, training was nearing its end, and it was fine that way as Maka nearly crashed to the ground because that idiot Hiro was doing a shitty job of steadying Maka's leg. Soul caught her before she could get hurt, his eyes ever watchful and trained on her every move. Coach Marie had made sure that in his position as back spot he had to always watch the flyer.

"Are you okay?" he asked, slowly setting her down, still holding her just in case she had hurt herself.

She nodded, patting him on the head as if he were a dog. He wasn't sure if it annoyed him or pleased him more to have her touch him. "Yes, thank you, Soul."

The others left one by one and as he was about to leave for the locker rooms, he noticed Maka stretching and not looking like someone who was about to leave for home. She bent down, her skirt riding up her butt and giving him another wonderful peek of her lacy boyshorts. He shook his head, cheeks heating up as he tried to think of the most unsexy things he could muster up.

"Hey, aren't you going home?" he asked, unbidden words leaving his mouth.

Shaking her head, she muttered, voice low, "No, I want to practice a little more, so I don't end up almost falling the next time again."

Soul blinked, confused. "You know that wasn't your fault, but that idiot's Hiro? You should go home and rest, you did really well today...I mean yeah...you always do well, not only today and-and yeah." Shit, he was a moron. He rubbed the back of his head uneasily, glancing down.

He couldn't quite interpret the look she was giving him, only that the light of the setting sun did weird things to her eyes, made them gleam beautifully and he just wanted to get lost in them.

"I still think I need practice," she said after a while, biting her lip, but instead of continuing with her stretching she plopped down in the grass with a sigh, looking kind of haggard and tired. His brows furrowed, lips setting into a tight line.

"I mean it, Maka, you really should rest; you look tired," he said, seating himself next to her. The air was humid and the sky looked a little too cloudy. "You won't do anyone good, least of all yourself if you tire yourself out."

"I know, I know, but urgh." She let her head hang, the tips of her pigtails sliding over her lean shoulders.

"And also, you're already the best on the team. No one can compare to you and─"

He cut himself off when she snapped her head up to him, eyes clear and narrowed, studying him carefully. "Since when are you such a flatterer, Soul?" she asked, her voice taking on a slight lilt as she smiled and stretched her legs out in front of her, freeing them from the uncomfortable crouch she was in.

It was an automatic reaction of his body, to stare, to appreciate these long, smooth pillars of female beauty and perfection. Cheerleading and all the gymnastics and acrobatics that came with it really had its merits. She had a great body, all lean and wiry muscles all buried beneath soft skin he touched on a daily basis. What would her legs feel like if he were to touch them now? The muscles there relaxed and not under the strain of a stunt. He gulped loudly, feeling hot and warm and in desperate need to dunk his head under cool water.

"I, uh, well you're good. What can I say?"

He just wanted to slap himself. How could he be more inept at this? Maybe he really needed to mingle more with people, to learn how to talk to a girl. He suppressed a groan, looking her in the face only to see her amusement written all over her eyes.

She crossed her legs by the ankles, her skirt riding up her thighs the tiniest bit.

"You know, I remember you teasing me on your first day with us. You called my ankles fat."

His mind came to a screeching halt, all thoughts of her legs wrapped around his waist erased.

"What?" He blinked, praying to God that it was just a coincidence and that she had not actually seen him ogling her like a total creep. At a loss of what to say and do, he just spewed out the first thing that came to his addled mind, "I did not!"

Maka snorted, holding her chin high. "Really? Maybe there was something wrong with my ears then," she continued haughtily, her smile turning cruel. "Oh right! It wasn't my ankles that were not satisfactory but my chest instead. Am I wrong?" She raised an eyebrow and Soul felt the desperate need to dig himself a hole and bury himself alive. "Tell me, Soul. Why do you like to pick on me so much when I always see you watching me even outside of practice? Why do you bitch about cheerleading when you can just leave and never come back, huh?"

He could only stammer like an illiterate idiot. She had basically caught him, calling him out on his dumb behavior. He should have known really. Maka Albarn was no idiot, she was perceptive and smart, a definite factor why he likes her so much. Perhaps it was time to come clean with her; that is, if she didn't just reject him on the spot because he had always been such an ass to her. Maybe insulting her body was not the ideal way of getting closer to the girl of your affections.

Taking a deep breath, he dug his fingers into the moist grass beneath him. "I never meant any of those things."

"Oh? So you want to tell me that becoming a cheerleader had always been your dream?"

"What the─" he threw her an incredulous glance, "─since when do you use sarcasm?!"

"You must have rubbed off on me," she stated simply.

"Okay, okay. I joined the cheerleading squad because I was dare to! There, happy?"

She gave him another one of those looks he couldn't decipher and it pissed him off. She hummed thoughtfully to herself.

"Why didn't you leave after the two months you had to stay here to win the bet?"

"Because I- hey, how do you know this?"

God, how much more did she know?!

She glanced at him from beneath her fringe, green eyes calculating and dark. "I have my...sources."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" He ran his palm down his face, agitation rising in his chest as he tried to ward off the pressing weight of uneasiness. He hated himself more when he saw how she uncrossed her ankles, her leg sliding down to the ground.

In one moment he was contemplating the best way to get out of here and in the next she was right in front of him, looking livid.

"Damn it, Soul, why don't you just...tell me."

Maybe he had him figured out already. It seemed actually very likely, and he didn't know how to handle it. He let out a groan and gritted his teeth, his fist clenching in the roots of his hair. She was close, too close for this to be considered a friendly moment. Her eyes sparked wildly, he could feel her breath brushing against his jaw. She was breathing hard.

He didn't give his hands the command to wrap around her upper arms, nor did he tell his thumb to caress her skin there. He exhaled through his nose, jaw tense.

"I didn't leave because I wanted to spend more time with you," he said in a hushed whisper.

"Tsubaki told me that you made a bet with Black*Star, and even though you pissed me off at first I didn't want you to go," she admitted softly, crawling closer to him.

His heart jumped, his breath catching in his throat. Before he could say anything in response, she continued hastily, "I actually like...you, and when you didn't leave after two months I didn't know what to think, but then I noticed you...looking at me and-and I thought that maybe, that maybe you like me back, but you never said anything." She released a frustrated huff of air from between her teeth. "Not even when I tried to get your attention."

There were a lot of things in these few seconds for him to process and he wasn't entirely sure if he was doing a good job processing. First, Black*Star had apparently rattled him out to Tsubaki, who had told Maka about the bet. Second, Maka liked him! Third, she had been trying to get his attention via wearing sexy underwear! For him! Fourth, Maka liked him!

"Is that what your new panties today were about? Trying to get my attention?" He asked, voice thick.

She giggled, red crawling over her cheeks. "Today? I have been wearing that sort of underwear for a long time, Soul. I haven't worn my bloomers for how many weeks now? Don't tell me you didn't notice," she said, her tone taking on a shrill edge.

"Honestly, I didn't, I was too busy watching you not fall, instead of looking under your skirt," he mumbled petulantly. Even though it was very tempting and kind of unavoidable, Soul generally managed to be a gentleman about this sort of issue. Sure, the girls jumped a lot and their skirts were not the magical gravity defying sort of material, so he more often than not got a good glimpse of their bloomers, but as he said, he was usually more concerned with watching Maka's movements and if she was being unbalanced to catch her in case she were to fall.

"You're cute," she said with a laugh, and of course, Soul couldn't take such a statement without blushing again.

"I'm not cute!"

"You're blushing. Oh my God!" She poked his cheek for good measure, cooing at the red that stained his face and underlined how uncool he was in reality.

"Stop that!"

"But─"

"No." He grabbed her wrists, realizing how much closer she had gotten. She was practically straddling his lap, her skirt riding high on her legs, doing a shitty job of covering. "M-maka?"

Her eyes became heavy-lidded and her fingers smoothed over his cheekbones, his jawline, his lips.

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

She stilled for a moment, seeming to realize what was going on. She bit her lip. "Trying to be sexy?"

His mouth twitched and his hands settled comfortably on her hips, pulling her down more firmly onto his lap. He was partly hard already, but there was no way to stay unaffected by the way she looked at him and rubbed herself against his groin.

Soul muffled a groan in her neck, placed a kiss there, smirking at her jumping pulse. "I would have never thought you'd be one trying to seduce someone in a public place."

She pulled away slightly, smirking down at him. "You know nothing, Soul Evans."

And with that she took the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, leaving her in her bra that matched her panties perfectly. His mouth went dry. He was the luckiest man on earth. How had he ended up in this position again? It didn't matter now, did it? He had a half-naked girl in his lap, the girl he had been lusting after for months and months, the girl he couldn't help but admire for her determination and intelligence and strength.

He gasped, grabbing her ass when she ground against him just the right way.

"Take this off," she whispered, tugging impatiently at his shirt, and who was he not to comply? His shirt was gone in an instant and her hands slid from his shoulders down to his chest, grazing nipples, muscle and heated skin.

He couldn't take it anymore; pulling her down, he slanted his mouth over hers, his dick painfully hard at the tiny mewls she graced him with. Her tongue was insistent and forceful, pushing against his with a vigour he hadn't known she had. Perhaps he hadn't been the only one getting hot and bothered during practice. Soul palmed her breasts, catching her high-pitched gasp with another hungry kiss. They were small and her nipples were hard and visible against the lacy thing, and they fit perfectly into his hands.

Unable to deal with the machinations of bras and the difficulty of taking them off, he simply edged the straps down her arms, slipping the cups down to reveal two handfuls of girl-flesh. He tugged and pinched her nipples, took one in his mouth and bit down lightly. Her reaction was instantaneous; a sharp cry and her fists tightening in his hair to pull him closer, her back arching into his mouth.

It vaguely occured to him that they were in a very public place and that anyone could see them going at. His brain was muddled, his body drunk on Maka, and he really really didn't want to stop, but he felt the need to address the matter regardless.

"Don't worry," she gasped, raking her fingers through his hair, making him look up into her eyes. Her pupils were wide and her lips parted. "No one comes here at this time of day."

It was enough to convince him as pathetic of a reassurance it was. Screw that, he was getting laid! He clutched at her thighs as he mouthed her ear, his cock stirring painfully in the confines of his pants as she moaned and tilted her head to the side to give him better access. Letting out a pleased grunt, he shoved her skirt up her legs, groped her flesh there, giddy and elated that he was finally touching these sinful legs not because of practice, not because he had to make sure she didn't fall, but because he could, because she let him.

Maka's hips flexed, her movements becoming rougher and more forceful and he seriously needed to get out of his pants, right now. His hand went to his trunks, clumsily trying to push them down to no avail. His limbs weren't cooperating, the only logical thing seemed to touch Maka all over, and when she finally noticed, pulling away with a disgruntled groan, she stood shakily, taking off her shirt. She took her sweet time with her panties, lips curling into a teasing smirk as she held his wondrous gaze and wiggled out of the garment. He would never be able to go through practice again without picturing her naked.

She raised an eyebrow, placing her hands on her hips. "What about you?"

It took him a moment to decode the sounds and syllables of her question, but once it dawned on him that she was giving him time to get equally naked, he raised himself on his feet, stripping awkwardly, fingers jittery and quivering. When he was finally free of unnecessary clothes, she pounced on him, smashing their mouth together, tongues tangling as he barely could hold onto her, hands stroking her hipbones and waist.

He wanted her, he wanted her so much he was surely going to lose his sanity, but he also wanted to please her. He planted open mouthed wet kisses on her throat, nipped on her shoulder and made his way further down, lapping languidly at her breasts, dipping his tongue into her navel before he was kneeling in front of her. Even she looked surprised at this.

Giving Maka a comforting smile, he ran his palms up her thighs, marvelling once again at the perfection that was her skin, how strong her legs were.

"You're so wet already, Maka," he said, voice strained with want. She whimpered when he blew against her sensitive folds, relishing in how she seemed to close to lose her footing just by that. Smirking pleasedly, he let his tongue dart out to taste her for the first time. He had had thousands of dreams about this, about them being nude and sweaty and horny.

She clutched his hair desperately, mewls and moans escaping her mouth together with broken syllables of his name. He could definitely get used to this. His thumb caressed her skin smoothly, while his other hands spread her folds for him and sunk a finger into her tight heat, making her legs buckle dangerously.

"Soul-oh! Oh!"

Her voice was like music to his ears, a sweet tinkling sound, and he was determined to hear it as often as he could like this. He sucked on her clit noisily, let his tongue swipe against it in broad strokes, before he alternated to tease her with the tip. He could feel her reaching her orgasm quickly, the way she tightened around him, the way her voice took on a needy quality and the way she tugged at his hair, making him growl, were a dead giveaway.

She came forcefully, clenching around his finger as he lapped at her until her cries turned hoarse and she nearly fell down. He steadied her by her hips and brought her down to her knees, smiling haughtily at his accomplishment. She looked absolutely gorgeous, hair wild, face flushed and her eyes hazy with lust. Her teeth buried in her bottom lip as she pushed him on the ground, making him lie down flat on his back.

His breath caught in his throat, his heart thudding excitedly against rips as she straddled him again. Though this time there were undergarments separating them; she was right there, wet and ready for him. Soul gulped loudly, running his hands over her legs repeatedly. He couldn't help it, didn't know how to be around her when she was wearing nothing but those short skirts of hers.

She took his cock in a careful but firm grip, rubbed herself against him, humping him in ways he didn't know he could be humped, drawing throaty gasps out of him. He was holding her hips, supporting her as she slowly sank down in him and Soul couldn't even begin to describe how amazing she felt.

Throwing his head back, he moaned lowly as she set up a slow heady rhythm, leaning down to kiss him. He knew he wasn't going to last long and it was a mild comfort that he had managed to make her at least come with his mouth before. The muscles on his thighs were tense, her eyes alight with desire as she scraped her nails against his broad shoulders, his arms.

Their lips mingled, exchanging kisses and breaths, and he could only whisper against her ear how much he had wanted her, how beautiful and hot she was, how wonderful she felt, so tight and oh, she was driving him crazy, and her marvelous legs; he didn't know how to even try to tell her how fantastic they were. Maka rewarded him by quickening her pace, crying out his name in that high-pitched frantic way.

She was close to orgasm again, his ego soaring, but he'd still come before her if she kept this up. Gathering the last vestiges of coherent thought, he brought his hand between them, rubbed her clit as she rode him to her unmaking Her hair spilled all around her as she threw her head back, whimpering loudly, nails digging into his chest, and he rolled his hips in time with hers.

He was mesmerized by her face, the way it twisted in pleasure, how it was him who made her feel like this. She bit her lip and came with a last shout of his name as he pulsed in her, taken over the edge with the way she clenched around him.

She toppled down on him, snuggling against his chest with a pleased sigh not giving a damn about how sticky and wet and gross they were. Soul couldn't be happier at this moment, even if his entire back was probably dyed green from the grass he had spent the last minutes on being topped by Maka. He serenely combed his fingers through her tousled hair, eyes drawn to the sky. The sun had set already.

He swallowed down his disappointment. He'd need to leave soon before his brother's paranoia caught up with him and he came to look for him. The last thing he needed was Wes seeing him like this. He could think of thousands of different ways he'd rather have his post-coital bliss ruined instead.

Maka raised her head, smiling down at him before she kissed him gently. She understood. Reluctantly, they stood up, cleaned up the the best they could and got dressed. He offered her a ride home because he was a gentleman and because he wanted to spend more time with her even if it was for just a few minutes longer.

The ride to her place was too short and she pointedly instructed him not to park his bike right in front of her house, lest her crazy father decided to murder Soul.

The moonlight seemed to captured in her eyes when she looked at him for a moment, hands clasped together behind her back.

"Let's do something tomorrow, okay?"

He bit back a smile, finding her sudden shyness endearing more than anything.

"Sure," he said and pulled her in for a last kiss, whispering against her lips, "But next time let's keep the sex in the bedroom."

She squeaked and smacked him halfheartedly before she bid him a goodnight. Soul grinned, watched her until her father opened the door for her, questioning her immediately why she was so late today. Soul took this as his cue to leave, his grin still plastered firmly on his face as he couldn't help but look forward to the next cheerleading session.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are always appreciated :)


	5. First Kiss

A/N: Just a little drabble because the idea amused me so much. Reviews are as always appreciated. Enjoy!

* * *

Title: First Kiss

Summary: "I had my first kiss with Black*Star," Maka said, and with that Soul's whole world came crashing down as he proceeded to handle this matter like a petulant child.

* * *

"What?! Could you repeat that?"

Soul refused to believe what his ears had just clearly registered. No, no, no. He'd need to clean his ears extra well this time because her toxic words of unmatched horror might slowly enter his brain and eat through it like a fucking parasite. He was very tempted to throw the can of coke that was so close to being crushed in his iron fist against the wall, or perhaps to squeeze it more tightly in his hand that it burst. Anything really─ he'd do anything to release this sudden surge of wrath that was about to run amok in his blood vessels.

The look Maka gave him was suspicious at best, and maybe he looked like he was in the pre-stage of a conniption right now. Though she ignored his tomato-red face and smiled, eyes glazing over in remembrance. "It's as I told you, Soul," she said matter-of-factly, "I had my first kiss with Black*Star."

His hand twitched. It twitched very powerfully.

"Soul! Why the hell did you throw the can against the wall?!"

"You had your first kiss with Black*Star? Seriously, Maka? How sad is that?" He forced himself to guffaw, because teasing her and making fun of her was better than the other thing he was very inclined to do─ bash his head against the wall and cry and bitch about the unfairness of the world. His spine nearly threatened to leave his body with the amount of shuddering he did at the mere thought of Maka's wonderful, plump lips having ever been connected to...and here he shuddered again, to Black*Star's. "I thought even someone as unappealing as you had some standards, but seems like you─"

"Maka-chop!"

"Ow, fuck."

* * *

After Soul cleaned up the mess he made and calmed down from his totally uncool outburst, he went into a state of acceptance. So what if Maka and Black*Star had kissed once? Who the hell cared? It wasn't his damn business and acting like some possessive jerk over it wasn't like him at all. Okay, maybe he had been slowly but surely falling in love with his meister and maybe he had had some fantasies about them being each others' firsts in every sense, so it kind of burst his little bubble of fluff that he had to erase this G-rated fantasy from his list.

Anyway, he was a cool guy and he was going to be accepting. He was cool like that. Yep. Seriously, he wasn't bothered by it. Nope.

…..

….

….

When could it have happened? Probably before he and Maka had partnered up, possibly before they had even met. How could he have been so stupid?!

Black*Star and Maka were childhood friends! They had a history! Who knew what else they did together. A shudder wracked Soul's body as his thoughts wandered into a direction he NEVER EVER wanted them to go, least of all when they involved Black*Star and Maka together.

But Soul was a cool guy. And he'd deal with it as cool guys did.

* * *

Soul knew it was petulant of him to do that. And not cool at all, but after a night's worth of tossing and turning in his bed with his brain supplying him images of unmentionable horrors, he couldn't resist.

He wasn't entirely sure if all the execrable scenarios he had seen flash in front of his eyes last night had been nightmares, or if his overactive brain had been energetically concocting all the worst case scenarios there were.

One scenario of the Unmentionable was Black*Star and Maka kissing right after Soul had agreed to partner up with her. Soul had been looking for his new partner only to see her pecking Black*Star on the lips.

Another one had to be the vilest of nightmares Soul had as it consisted of Black*Star not only sucking face with his wonderful meister, but also pushing his hand beneath her shirt.

Soul's skin prickled as if a thousand ants decided to crawl on his fucking arms.

"You should have seen that asshole!" Black*Star bellowed, his voice echoing through the whole cafeteria, drowning out everyone else. He brought his fist to his chest proudly, grinning like the shit-eating little monkey he was. "Of course, he couldn't stand a chance against the great and awesome Black*Star. I am the biggest and strongest of all!"

While Tsubaki feigned polite admiration at her partner's antics, the others did well to ignore him. Of course, Black*Star was strong, nobody was doubting that. But his tales of badassery got old very quickly, especially if he insisted on relaying them so loudly that it threatened to shatter the eardrums of everyone in a hundred mile radius.

Usually, Soul would be the first to roll his eyes, mutter a quiet "That's great, Black*Star", maybe even give him a high five and turn back to eat his subpar food. Today was not one of those days of calm rationality.

Soul scoffed loudly, regarding his best friend with a look of thinly veiled disdain he tried to mask of as boredom. "Please, 'the biggest of all'?" he mocked, voice dripping with venom. "You're saying that so often it makes me wonder if you're trying to compensate for something."

Black*Star blinked, let his fork almost drop as his grin fell. He was too confused to react properly, his brows furrowing. "What the hell, Soul?"

Soul just snorted, decided to ignore Black*Star now because the others were taking note of his odd behavior. He really didn't need that! Least of all did he need Maka calling him out on his shit. He chomped angrily on the overcooked noodles, but Black*Star was never the one to let a case rest.

"What do you mean, Soul? Compensating for something? What kind of problem do you have, dude?" Much to his credit, Black*Star actually managed to lower the volume of his voice a little.

Soul knew he was in the wrong here, but it was still tempting to snark at Black*Star. He bit his tongue though, clenched his fist as he turned to look at Black*Star with cold eyes. "Nothing, nevermind. I was...being uncool," he said and stood up, taking mild satisfaction from the assassin's gobsmacked face.

"Where are you going, Soul? You haven't even touched your food," Maka said calmly, curiously glancing up at him.

He managed a wry smirk. "I'm not hungry. See you in class."

And with that he stormed off, his cool barely regained, and went where nobody could find him.

* * *

The library was rarely visited terrain for Soul. If he ever went there, it was because either Maka made him do it or because he was looking for Maka. This made him aware of a grave fallacy of his. He didn't want to be found and nobody would come looking for him in the library, but Maka, ever the bookworm, would surely come here even during her lunch break! The nerd!

Soul ran a hand through his hair, tousling it more, and groaned loudly, earning him a few dirty stares from other bookworms nearby. He sighed to himself, struggled to his feet and went outside. A walk in the fresh air sounded like a good idea now.

The sky was a bit cloudy and grey and it would surely be raining after classes were over. At least the weather fit his mood. He really needed to get a grip on himself. There were more pressing matters he could be losing his shit over instead. Not a dumb, probably innocent kiss between two childhood friends.

Childhood friends.

The words rang shrilly in his mind. They were indeed childhood friends. Hadn't Black*Star been just about a few months old when Maka was born? They had been practically raised together! Even if they never showed it, they had to be the closest two in their group. Oh God, if one of them had been a weapon instead of a meister, they certainly would have partnered up. Maka probably knew things about Black*Star nobody else knew. And what about Black*Star? What did he know about Maka that Soul didn't?

And then there was this kiss. Maka's first kiss. Maybe it had just been a small peck. It had to have been just that. Or maybe they hadn't been as young as Soul was imagining them to be. Maybe the kiss had happened after he had partnered up with Maka. Fuck, he hadn't asked her to clarify the when and why!

Maybe they had even used tongue!

God, he was about to retch.

What if they did more than kissing? What if it went further?

He limply plopped down on the grass, pale-faced and tired. He had to make sure to regain his composure at least somewhat before he faced his friends again, but the mere thought of Maka's arms being wrapped around Black*Star's neck in a close embrace, of their lips being joined, their tongues exchanging spit and─

Soul had to lie down. He curled into himself, tried to erase these mentally scarring images from his brain.

Maka had sounded kind of pleased when she told him that Black*Star had been her first kiss now that he thought about it. Maybe...maybe they were even together!

Okay, okay. Soul could totally handle this. He would be supportive of them and wish them the best and all the happiness in the world, and not mind when they decided to exchange their saliva right in front him.

He grimaced, gritting his teeth hard. He would be okay.

* * *

He was woken from his nap he didn't remember ever taking by an angry Maka who shook his shoulder heatedly.

"Soul! What are you doing here outside? You missed class!"

He blinked once, twice and rubbed his eyes. "Whu?"

Maka graced him with a bone-eroding glare. "Do you know what time it is?!"

"Uh..."He looked up, the sky had become greyer, and he wasn't sure but he might have heard the faint rumble of thunder in the distance.

"Class is already over. Do you know how worried I was?"

He shook his head a little, reorienting himself. He didn't remember falling asleep and he hadn't planned on ditching class. There was a classier and safer way to go on about stuff like that, and taking a nap in the schoolyard was not it.

"Sorry," he mumbled. She looked kind of cute being all worried about him, but that feeling of being considered special was quickly squashed when today's events came rushing back into his mind with a vengeance.

"What is it with that face?" Maka asked, her brows creased, and sat down next to him.

"Kinda tired, that's all."

"You already slept through half a day of class, Soul," she said admonishingly, but there was humour in her voice. "Now tell me what has been bothering you. You've been acting weird the whole day. Why did you snap at Black*Star like that?"

He groaned, drowsily rubbing his eye. "Don't remind me. I was just in a bad mood and he was annoying. It was not cool of me, I know." Man, he had become a great liar.

Maka rolled her eyes and huffed as she crossed her arms. "I'm not stupid, Soul. You're lying."

Or not so great.

"What's wrong? And don't you dare to get out of this by saying stuff like 'you're just being paranoid, Maka'," she said, mimicking his voice. He had to bite back a smile at her faux gravelly voice. She could be so cute sometimes. And of course, he couldn't be the first one to take note of this. Maka was a very desirable girl, after all, even if his prepubescent self would disagree strongly, but Soul had been an idiot back then.

This could be the best time as any to talk to her. Soul knew he wouldn't be able to dodge this conversation, but how could he talk to her about it if he didn't want to come out with his feelings for her? And this still left the issue if there was more with Black*Star going on. If she harbored feelings for that oaf, then It would just mess things up if Soul confessed his own for Maka. He sighed heavily, running his palm over his face.

"I am your meister and friend, Soul and we agreed that we wouldn't keep anything from each other."

"Yeah, but..."

"But what?"

"This isn't easy to talk about."

"What do you mean?" She shot him a suspicious glance; the same she'd give him whenever she thought he smelled like pot after he had stayed out a few hours too long with Black*Star. If the blue monkey and Maka were really together, wouldn't Black*Star have shouted it out at every opportunity? He wasn't known to be subtle or sensible and maybe Soul was thinking too much into this stupid matter. He might as well just get it out now.

Gathering all the bravery he could, he turned to face Maka. "It's about...what you said this morning."

She cocked her head to the side, eyes wide and puzzled, and her expression was the most precious thing Soul had ever seen that he came close to fawning over her like a bad Spirit-clone. He shook his head a little, his mind slightly less hazy.

"I mean about Black*Star having been your first kiss and all. Look, I know it's not something I should blow up out of proportion like that; it was not okay of me to snap at Black*Star, but...you know, it was kind of...surprising- no, not that, but it kind of made me upset a little, I guess, even though I have no room to be upset as you can kiss whoever you want whenever you want and I was just being a brat about it and I'll make sure to...not be so lame anymore," he finished lamely, mortification setting his cheeks ablaze. He wanted to ram his head against the closest tree he could find because he could not have been more confusing and stupid. He wouldn't even blame her if she had decided to zone out during his dumb rambling.

Maka just smiled and Soul wasn't sure if this sinking feeling of humiliation just doubled or got halved; it was hard to tell. But there was nothing necessarily taunting about her smile, maybe there was a little humour in it, nothing mean-spirited.

"I can't believe that has been bothering you," she mumbled blithely, finding her crossed feet more interesting than him.

"Well yeah, now you know."

What now? Soul didn't want to analyze the possible ramifications their little conversation could have for them. He felt sort of better for telling her, but on the other hand, he knew this matter wouldn't vanish so easily. He might still need to talk to Black*Star and maybe even explain his behavior to the rest of his friends. It was a possibility that made the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand because, while Kid and Tsubaki were tactful, Liz and Patti would tease him mercilessly if they ever found out that he was being a lovesick idiot.

"It happened in kindergarten," Maka said, pulling him out of his frantic thoughts. His head shot up so quickly Soul feared he might give himself a whiplash. Nevertheless, he listened to Maka's little tale with rapt attention. "We were playing a game where we pretended to be the bride and groom and that's when he kissed me."

Soul's heart threatened to burst, his head feeling light and deprived of blood. Maka giggled quietly, lips curved into a grin as she nodded at his flabbergasted face. "Yep, we even had 'wedding rings' we had made from paper. His actually ripped when I tried to put it onto his finger. It was quite the horrible wedding, and I think if Black*Star and I ever seriously considered getting hitched, our real wedding wouldn't be much different from the play-wedding in kindergarten. Oh and also it was just a kiss on the cheek─" her voice took on a teasing quality, playful and coy as she nudged him with her elbow, "─nothing to get jealous over."

He was too relieved to properly react to her little jab. He plopped back on the grass with a sigh, a grin threatening to split his face in two. "Sooo, I'm guessing you don't plan on marrying Black*Star ever, or kissing him for that matter?"

Maka shuddered, shaking her head in mock horror. "Nope! It'd be weird. I grew up with him and he's too annoying. I don't know how Tsubaki can deal with him on a daily basis."

He chuckled, twisted his body to the side and watched her more closely. "Also that first kiss with Black*Star doesn't count if it was just on the cheek. Seriously, I freaked out over nothing but just him giving you a slobbery cheek."

She let out a snort, her eyes sweet and poisonous. "Why were you freaking out about it in the first place, Soul?" she asked, shifting closer to him.

Words of snark died on the tip of his tongue, making him cringe at her victorious expression. Damn it, he had hoped she'd just let it pass or even better, just return his feelings. But, of course, he had no idea if she indeed harboured the same feelings for him.

He swallowed hard, his tie too tight around his throat, his mouth parched and his palms moist with cold sweat. "Um, I...uh─"

Her lips were on his before he could figure out what was happening. He went a little cross-eyed, watching her passively. Maka's eyes were closed, her nose bumping against his awkwardly and even though it was a little weird, it was still a nice kiss. She pulled away too soon and let out a cute huff, her cheeks a light pink.

They stared at each other for a moment; Maka's confidence seemed to waver, and he realized that staring like a fish at her was probably giving her the wrong signals. So he did what he considered the most reasonable. Placing his hand behind her neck, he pulled her towards him. She let out a high-pitched squeak and giggled a little when their noses bumped again, this time more painfully. He grinned, all sharp teeth and giddy elation before he kissed her.


End file.
